Bike to Work Week!

It’s Bike to Work Week! Warmer weather and rising gas prices are two good reasons put down your keys, and pick up your helmet. If your route to work is not an option, consider taking your bike someplace this weekend that you might otherwise drive to — such as the Farmers Market!

Because of these alarming numbers, the Junior League of Albany has developed a community project called Kids in Motion which focuses on engaging young girls in fitness and nutrition based activities to increase knowledge regarding the importance of being physically active and making healthy choices. The host of the program is Girls Inc., a national nonprofit organization who inspires girls to “be strong, smart and bold” by offering free programs to girls in 1st through 12th grades that embody these values. The JLA will provide fitness and nutrition related programming once a month over the course of six months working closely with the girls in various activities from basketball to yoga, and of course a little healthy snack making.

As a member of the JLA, I have volunteered to be the designated personal trainer for the program and will deliver the physical fitness information via a curriculum developed by the American Council on Exercise. We kicked off the program in September and it was really a great time working with the girls, they were engaged and excited to learn and participate. You can see how much fun they had during one of our fitness activities in the picture above.

Local Tourist

Traveling is a wonderful way experience and appreciate other cultures and landscapes, but it also takes a toll on the environment. According to The Green Book, air travel is becoming the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. The book also gives plenty of tips on how to make your travel more green by using less water and electricity in your hotel and offsetting your carbon emissions.

Another alternative is to be a tourist in your own city. Recently, when my brother-in-law came to town, my husband and I took him on a tour of our city of Indianapolis with the same energy and gusto we usually have on vacation. We took public transportation (which is limited in our city) and traveled by foot for shorter distances. I carried my digital camera and took as many photos as I would in a new city.

Rolling for Autism

Congratulations to Rolling for Autism, who spent their summer roller blading from Florida to Maine to raise money and awareness for Autism. The team members, a group of outstanding students from Union College, spent 53 days on the road covering over 2,000 miles, hosting outreach events at several cities along the way. By targeting high school students, college students and young adults, Rolling for Autism hopes to inform and inspire the doctors, scientists, and parents of tomorrow by encouraging them to learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorders and the challenges they present for the growing population.

Battling Cancer with Exercise

I thought this article about my friend Leigh would be a great kick off to the “Get Moving” category of our blog. Leigh, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in 1999 and credits her beating cancer to taking good care of herself through exercise. She has since trained for and completed several endurance events including a marathon, triathlon and century bike ride with Team in Training raising over $15,000 for cancer research.